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Southwest Michigan vegetable regional report – June 24, 2015

It’s been a quiet week in southwest Michigan, and vegetable producers are thankful for that.

Weather

The weather this week has been a relief given the rainy conditions of last week. The area only had a trace of rain, allowing fields to drain and field activities to resume. Temperatures for the week ranged from 76 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit for highs and 57 to 66F for lows. We are near 920 base 50 growing degree days (GDD) compared to 850 GDD for 2014.

Crops

No significant issues were reported or observed by Michigan State University Extension during the last week. Excessive rains the previous week have caused yellowing and stunted growth of plants in poorly drained areas. This can be caused from nitrogen leaching or simply from the plant’s inability to take up nitrogen due to waterlogged conditions.

Harvest is occurring from zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers. Watermelon is runnering off the plastic and is in bloom.

Tomatoes grown under tunnels have 2-inch diameter fruit and early planted peppers have 1-inch diameter fruit. Herbicide drift damage continues to show up on some tomatoes.

August 8, 2016 | Phil Tocco | Washing fruits and vegetables properly in a dunk tank or hydrocooler can help extend shelf life and improve food safety. Improper washing increases the risk of a small food safety problem becoming a big one.